Muqaddimah- The Child & the Emperor

-Bismillahirrahmanirraheem-

Cuba teka anda di mana?

Most of the time, well, all the time we are clouded by our daily tasks from realizing the most important matters in our lives.

Take the average civil worker for example. He begins his day early in the morning preparing breakfast and coffee to avoid the congested traffic and if we’re lucky enough, he’ll make sure that his fajr prayer is not missed.

Then he punches in his working card like everyone else residing in neatly arranged cubicles in the office, not minding anyone else’s work and problems and seeks to finish up the piling papers on top of his desk. If we’re lucky enough, he knows that his work is amanah and won’t waste time being online using his employer’s computer and expensive online network to tap into social hubs and playing ridiculous games. If we’re lucky enough that is.

Then he sees his colleagues bullying an intern making him do all the work, he feels that what they’re doing to the poor guy is so wrong on so many levels of iman, brotherhood, ihsan but yet, hey;

“I have my own problems.”

So he continues work and when the clock strikes 12.00 pm, him and drones like him swarm the nests they call warung or stall or whatever you call the place where people consume food and carcass together. If we’re lucky enough, our man won’t participate in the inaugural practices of the office and proceed to buy lunch later perform his Zuhr prayer. If we’re lucky enough that is.

Then the clocks strike 2.00 pm and only our man is in the office, with none of the other drones with him. He merrily continues sorting the papers, checking and re-checking and proof-reading and doing all of these meticulous tasks with great efficiency. Then comes some guy in an expensive looking suit approaching him from behind, tapping his shoulder as if he has known him since childhood years when they fell together from their bikes and laughed their cuts and bruises out;

“Hey man, I need your help with something, can look into these papers for me?”

Flustered with the guy’s presence, our man casts aside his current work and started going all out on this stranger’s request. He scrutinizes every sentence; he made sure all the numbers were sound and every account written to their fullest extent.

“Wow, great job man! Thanks for the help!”

And the stranger merrily whisks away in his awkward stride, leaving our man somewhat satisfied with the favor he’s done for his fellow worker. Hey, he’s not that selfish, he just never found an opportunity to lend a hand that doesn’t involve him getting the shorter end of the proverbial straw.

So the clock strikes 5.00 pm and our man prepares to pack up for the day. Guess what? When he was about the cross his manager’s office, he saw the same stranger getting all friendly with his boss. He 

overheard them;

“I can’t believe the amazing job you’ve done with the report! The board was so satisfied they decided to give you a promotion!”

“Well, it’s not such a big deal. I was just doing my best for the company. People need competent and trustworthy guys to make sure things are being run the way they should be. I was more than happy to assist the project.”

“Wow, skills and charms. You’re going places kid! ”

“Skills? Charms? That guy’s just a freeloader who conned me into doing his work! He’s a good for nothing &*$@$^&+**!”

So silent curses went flying and rolling from the shrieking heart of our man & I think most of the guys in the office also experienced the same thing. Also the company next to theirs and among the staff in the school located just opposite the building and also the kid in the playground who was getting framed for spilling another kid’s ice cream even though that other kid purposely dropped it just for the sake of getting another one with sprinkles and chocolates and rainbows on top.

Wow, the world really looks bleak doesn’t it?

“God, why is this happening? Why are all of us getting tortured like this?.”

Then God enters the equation. Not god as in an entity with physical appearance like humans with supernatural abilities of governing the world, owh no, if you ask I mean really ask people who believe in these deities do they picture a guy with a beard and robes floating on clouds on the stratosphere pointing at the earth then something goes on they’ll definitely flinch with the idea. Definitely! Or gods in their multitude array of functions like the brands of potato chips with so many flavors being arranged on the on aisle of a 

supermarket. And that’s just one aisle my friend, you haven’t checked the other ones.

When we seek divine help, we do look above, but our hearts will always pound for that entity which doesn’t have a face or physical incarnation because he is beyond time and space. Yet He’s still here, in our hearts, 

telling us to believe that He is with us.

Aaaaand then we forget that split second of spiritual insight when we arrive home or hostels or whatever place we crash in when a day’s work is done. Our man just now has arrived and already opening his DVD set with a flat screen TV and surround sound system. Maybe a movie will clear things out, or a drama episode, or how about a round of DOTA and PES if you’re into games? We vacant our mind from problems but the thing is we’re not making them leave. We’re just asking them to sit a corner and wait till we’re finished with these stuffs.

Tomorrow we’ll start all over again. With the same cycle, with the same character, with the same results. Every passing day.

Just realized something huh? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.

The patterns that we see and can observe in everyday is actually constant. Regardless what age we are in, we as human beings have a default programming in our genes that dictate that our progress in life must meet a standardized equation.

Happiness.

Fulfillment.

Peace.

Justice.

Truth.

PURPOSE.

And the tale of man trying to achieve all these ideals had been romanticized in novels, films and reincarnations of media trying to give us a sort of closure to make us feel secured with what we have.

Tell me, should we really refer to made up stories as guidance in deciding our lives?

Wow, getting a bit overwhelmed here aren’t we?

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Many of us realize but many choose to leave the fact in a cardboard box placed on the highest shelf in our homes out of fear. Fear of knowing that something must be done, something that will cost us a portion of what we enjoy now if we are serious in achieving it.

Such was the story of child and the emperor, who stood firm against the world, who let go of the things he cherished the most that for something much greater, much valuable.

What? You don’t know the story?

Well, let’s just say in happened long, long time ago, in a distant galaxy……….

Ok just kidding. If you’re serious, stay tuned for the next post. I think I just when overboard with this entry this time around. See you!

P/s: Warghh! Dah lame tak menganyam dalam blog. Nampaknye jadi student medic membenarkan aku wat post masa cuti je lah. Apa-apa pun doakan istiqamah itu tertanam kerana ilmu yang tak disampaikan menjadi hujjah atas kita di hari Pembalasan. (>U<)